The Arizona sentinel., 1887-09-24
A JOLLY FIDDLER.

Very Odd, Make-YourseIf-at-Hom Old
 GentIeman-How He Made Friends With
 the Boys.
 "Too bad! too bad!" exclaimed Archie
 ''I wish the old letter hadn't got here in time," said Fred, "and then we'd have gone anyway.
 ''So do l." said Archie.
 The two boys lived in California, and had come with their mother to visit among host of uncles and aunts and cousins.
 They were now at Uncle Ben's pleas ant country home.
 A little trip into the city, thirty miles away, had teen arranged, to spend the day with some boy cousins; but at the very last moment q letter had come, saying that one of the cousins had taken the measles, so it was quickly decided that Fred and Archie could not go.
 They must spend the day alone, with Brisk, the Scotch terrier, for Hiram, the man, and Maria Ann, the kitchen girl. had already driven away in the spring wagon for day out.
 Aunt Harriet hurried and made ready some things for the boys to eat before they said gOod-by.
 The barns were searched for eggs, the rabbits fed, the birds nests peeped into, and toward noon the boys sat on the piazza wondering what next to do.
 Wouldn't "a cared if had caught the measlesr' growled Fred.
 "Measles aren't nice, though" said Archie. Johnny Ray told me. You get hot and headachy, and can't eat good things"
 "HO, I know ] cOuld!" declared Fred.
 "Johnny said you'd think so, but you just can't, no matter how you try. And your eyes hurt, and you feel 80 awfully bad you wouldn't get up to look if dozen circus processions came by. And then folks send you oranges and bananas and things, and folks coax you to eat, and it's no use"
 ''I wonder" said Fred, gloomily, ''why they take just that kind of a time to tease boys to eat No one ever leases us to eat"
 "Mean, isn't it? No, we don't want any thing"-
 Archie raised his voice to speak to a man who was quietly walking toward them, with a small valise in his hand.
 "Stop" said Fred, in lower tone. "He doesn't look like the folks you speak so to. He's old, you see."
 "Yes, and nice-looking. The folks are all gone away, sir" said Archie, politely, as the stranger came nearer. ''We can't buy anything to-day, but perhaps you'll sit down and rest. (Mamma always says that to agents and peddlers, even when they bother her," he added in a whisper to Fred
 ''Thank you!" said the old man, talk ing one of the piazza chairs, and looking at the two bright faces with a very pleasant smile.
 Have you got books?" asked Archie, glad of any thing which might pass the time.
 Not many" said the peddler; "but here is one which I think you would be interested in looking at. :"
 He took out a magazine, and began showing them the pictures of mummies which have lately been discovered in Egypt. There were the photographed faces, dried up and withered, of kings who had died more than three thousand years ago.
 He read bits among the pictures, contriving to interest the boys keenly in showing how it had been proved by scholars and travellers that one of these faces was that of the very Pharaoh who was cruel to the children of Israel.
 It was a wonderful thing to hear, and the boys did not realize, until the book was laid aside, that it was long past dinner-time.
 The peddler seemed not to think of going, and Archie strayed around the corner of the house, and winked at Fred to follow him. They whispered together moment
 I've have to get our own dinner, sir," said Archie, going back to the visitor, "but we'd be glad to have you stay"
 The old man went to the wash-stand in the back hall, exactly as if he knew it was there. Aunt Harriet's good things were brought out, and they made hearty meal.
 And what a merry time they had when the peddler suggested that they better wash the dishes, and how strangely he seemed to know just where the pantry and the cellar were.
 After dinner the three went out for walk in the grove.
 If we only had swing, now!' said Archie.
 Yes" said Fred. discontentedly. ''Uncle Ben promised us one, but he s alway so busy. And when asked him this morning if we couldn't make one ourselves, he said no. it would't be safe unless some older person attended toit. "
 ''Do you think I'm old enough?" asked the visitor.
 'Yes." said Archie, with laugh,